Spiritual Pest
Jesus, at least twice, commanded Satan the devil to leave him. The first time he told him to go away was after he had spent forty days enduring the greatest temptations his adversary could throw at him (Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8). Roughly three years later, he again commanded the devil to leave his presence when he inspired Peter to suggest that Christ not die for the world's sins (Matthew 16:21 - 23).
Satan's Kingdom
How many angels followed the evil ways of Satan the devil? Revelation 12:4 reveals one-third of all the angels were deceived into rebelling against God. Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:11, taken literally, would mean the remaining two-thirds, or at least 100 million angels, stayed righteous. This leaves the devil with a kingdom composed of 50 million demons.
The Greatest Army
Lucifer, after he deceived at least 50 million angels to follow his rebellious ways, led them in his first and greatest attack against God (Isaiah 14:12 - 15). How does this evil army of Satan stack up against the largest invasion campaign ever launched by humans?
The World War II Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, code named Operation Barbarossa, fielded the largest invasion force in human history. Its initial frontline military strength of 3.8 million personnel is less than one-tenth the size (and overwhelmingly less powerful) than the devil mustered in his attempt to control the universe!
Name that Demon!
Satan is the only evil spirit whose personal name is revealed in Scripture. It is used 56 times in the King James Bible. He is also the only fallen spirit whose name, when righteous, is also recorded.
In contrast, we are told only the names of two righteous angelic beings (Daniel 10:13, Luke 1:13, 19).How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isaiah 14:12, KJV).
The book of Job has the most direct Biblical references to Satan with fourteen. It also holds the distinction of being the first book, chronologically speaking, that calls God's adversary by his personal name.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And Satan also came among them.
And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it . . ." (Job 1:6 - 7).
A Spirit of Few Words
The Bible records only seven distinct conversations involving the devil.
The first recorded conversation of Satan in the Bible took place in the Garden of Eden when he possessed an animal in order to tempt Eve (Genesis 3:1 - 5).
Now the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Is it true that God has said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?' " (Genesis 3:1).
The second and third conversations happened in heaven when he and God debated Job's righteousness (Job 1:7 - 11, 2:2 - 5). The fourth talk concerned accusing the high priest before the Lord (Zechariah 3:1 - 2).
The fifth discussion is referenced by Jesus when he informs the disciples that his adversary demanded he be allowed to ruin their faith (Luke 22:31 - 32). The sixth references Satan's constant accusations against the saints before God (Revelation 12:10). The last example of the adversary's words is the future deceptions he will promote during the forty-two month Great Tribulation period (Revelation 13:6).
The total number of KJV words recorded spoken by the devil (if we use Luke's longer account of Jesus' temptation) is 275.
Common but Not Biblical
In modern times, the phrase "prince of darkness" is frequently used as a colorful reference to the devil. This phrase, however, cannot be found in the King James Bible or in most other translations. That said, it is nevertheless true as Scripture calls him the leader of the demons (Matthew 9:34, 12:24, etc.).
Miscellaneous Trivia
Of the thirty-six Bible books that reference demons, twenty-eight discuss Satan in particular or his activities.
Isaiah 27:1 states that God will soon punish the leviathan (KJV), a beast also labeled a piercing and crooked serpent. This is likely a symbolic reference to the devil, as animals cannot sin and incur his wrath.
The devil is recorded as making at least two deceptive verbal promises. The first one is His promise to Eve that Eden's forbidden fruit would not bring her death (Genesis 3:3 - 4). The second was his promise that if he, Satan, was worshipped then Christ could immediately rule the earth (Luke 4:6 - 7).